Tag: Bronze age

‘Rare’ Bronze Age hoard unearthed at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

Archaeologists have unearthed Bronze Age hoard containing 3000-year-old axe heads, spear tips and other metal objects in a field in the Burnham-on-Crouch area, Essex.

The objects foundat the fieldinclude an pottery container with heavy metal contents unearthed undisturbed.

The first finds at the location were all metal work and reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme in September.

At the same field, metal detectorists later discovered an in situ pottery vessel.

They covered up the pot, and reported this find tothe PAS as well.

A dig was planned, and early October,archaeologists from PAS joined the landowner and four metal detectorists to excavate the known area of the hoard.

The pottery container was found to have suffered some plough damage.

One side of the vessel was missing, the other side was fractured.

It is rare to find an Bronze Age hoard in situ, especially one that involves pottery, so the archaeologists decided to ‘block lift’ the fragile, fractured pot, which was only held intact by the mud on both sides.

So, out came the cling film to hold the pot together whilst we dug around it and undermined it so that it could be lifted. This was a rather slow and painstaking process, making sure the vessel was supported whilst digging around it, Laura McLean writes on the PAS blog.

Eventually the vessel was ready to be lifted, and for rather a small pot it was blooming heavy with all the metalwork inside!

The 3,000-year-old container will be x-rayed at the lab, to give the archaeologists a clearer understanding of the order in which the objects were deposited in the vessel.

The team also unearthed intentionally broken axe heads, spear tips and other metal objects.

The hoard is currently kept at the Colchester & Ipswich Museums, where it is further examined.

Bracken Tor – Murder mystery set in Bronze Age Cornwall

Screenshot from 'Bracken Tor' - Bronze Age Structure Right in time for Halloween, Shadow Tor Studios have released the first (and spooky) trailer for horror adventure game ‘Bracken Tor: The Time of Tooth and Claw’, which will hit the UK late November.

The point-and-click PC game is set in a Bronze Age environment, based on prehistoric Cornwall.

Beyond Barrow Hill

Bracken Tor also tagged ‘Adventures beyond Barrow Hill’ after its predecessor ‘Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle’ is the latest title from the Shadow Tor Studios and produced with assistance from the ‘Mysterious Beasts Research Group’ (fictional) and Cornwall Archaeology Society (possibly the real one).

Amongst the game’s features: ‘travel back in time, to The Bronze Age, to learn its secrets’ and ‘experience virtual archaeology, and uncover the past’.

I have heard many strange stories, while 3D mapping the landscape and recreating forgotten shrines. There are whisperings of mythical beasts, appearing out of the fog, said Matt Clark, creator of Barrow Hill and Bracken Tor.

Video Teaser – Bracken Tor: The Time of Tooth and Claw

What are these strange creatures? Visitations? The ghosts of long extinct creatures? Is an ancient feral world colliding with ours? There really are undiscovered treasures, and dangers, waiting for the gamer to experience.

Back to the Bronze Age

Barrow Hill was tag-lined archaeology meets adventure, but for Bracken Tor you are a bold journalist, looking for the next ‘big story’ investigating the vicious murder of a lone hiker (for his last hours, see the trailer on the left), torn to pieces.

To solve the mystery (and publish a great story), you decide to spend the night on the moor to check if the ‘mysterious beasts’ are real. However, you’ll find yourself transported 2,000 years back in time to Bronze Age Britain.

Thrown into the ancient past of the Bronze Age people, you will find the true origins of the nightmare. Those primitive people lived in fear of the mighty beasts, making sacrifices to protect themselves from the packs, which hide in the thick pine forests and wind swept tundra. They practised long forgotten ceremonies, and studied the natural world, in an attempt to understand and conquer their foe. For it is only through understanding the ‘old ways’ that you will survive the night. You will have to decide what is worse…the beasts that lurk in the darkness, or the terrifying acts performed by our ancient ancestors.

Venture onto Bracken Tor, pitch your tent, prepare for the dark, listen for the sounds and hope to survive the Time of Tooth and Claw, concluded Clark.

Just How Terrifying?

I must admit, I’ll probably play because travelling back in time to the Bronze Age isfun (check out Stonehenge 1500 BC), and not the least because I’m curious about the ‘terrifying acts’ our prehistoric ancestors performed. Lets just hope we don’t vilify them to much? What are the odds for ‘human sacrifice’ can anybody confirm if this burial looks like a ritual kill? 😉 Also, please enlighten me () as to just how much archaeological evidence for human sacrifice in prehistoricBritain there exactly is? I’m honestly clueless, the only referencesI remember are either from Hollywood movies, or theCommentarii de Bello Gallico.

5000 Years of History at Zurich Rescue Excavations: Stone Age Wooden Door (and more)

Rescue excavations at the construction site of an underground car park in the Swiss city of Zurich are exceeding all expectations.

So far, the remains of at least five successive prehistoricsettlements came to light, as well as some amazing finds.

These including a flint dagger from Italy anda 5000-year-old wooden door – looking incredibly good for its age.

The oldest of the settlements discovered at the Opera House digis dated to as early as 3700 BC.

Underneath these remains, the archaeologists from Zurich’s Structural Engineering Department found sediment layers, which will offer information about the fluctuating water levels of Lake Zurich over time.

In addition to the sediment strata and building features over 8000 wood samples have been recovered.

The absence of oxygen in the lake sediments made that a wealth of organic remains are preserved.

5,000-year-old Stone Age Door

Amongst the remains was a Stone Age door, which is likely to be the third oldest door in Switzerland as well as Europe.

The prehistoric wooden door measures 153 by 88 centimetres and extremely well-preserved, with even its hinges still visible.

Remarkable is the way its planks were held together using a sophisticated plugs system.

Dating of the wood’s tree rings dendrochronology suggests the door was made (or at least, the three felled) in the year 3,063 BC.

More Archaeological Treasures

So far, one human skeleton has been discovered at the Zurich dig.

Other finds at the archaeological site were a heavily used flint dagger from Italy which offers information on the prehistoric transalpine trade routes and a new type of bow and arrow with bark ornament and a yet to be determined adhesive technology.

Stone Age tinderboxes were recovered at the dig, complete with lumps of iron sulphide, fire strikers and mushrooms the F. fomentarius, or Tinder Fungus.

From these boxes, several wooden pieces were found, which will provide further information on the containers’ designs.

The dig also revealed the oldest evidence for the use of wooden shingles in Zurich , a child-size bow and silex knifes silex being the steel of the Stone Age.

Modern when compared are the sandstone remains of the 17th century city wall, the construction of which can be investigated in detail for the first time.

The rescue excavations at the the Opera House car park have been ongoing for five months (an impressive photographic overview on the Zurich website). The dig will be completed by the end of January 2011, when the archaeologists have investigated the 3500 square metre area.

Restoration of the Royal Palace and Excavations at Ancient Qatna, Syria

This obsidian cup with gold accents was found inbetween human skeletal remains in the low vault of the Royal Palace. Photo by Marc Steinmetz, University of Tubingen After more than ten years of excavation and restoration, the ancient well-house at the Royal Palace of Qatna, Syria, has been officially opened to the public. It is the first phase of an ambitious project that will see the entire palace site opened for international tourism.

The ancient city of Qatna is located at Mishrifeh in western Syria, about 18 km north-east of the city of Homs and 200km from the modern-day Syrian capital Damascus. Bronze Age Qatna was strategically located at a the now vanished lake of Mishrifeh. In the 2nd millennium BC, itbecame the capital city of the Syrian kingdom, controlling the trade routes between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, and between Anatolia and Egypt.

Around 1650BC, Qatna’s Royal Palace was built. The palace, which served as living quarters and for administrative as well as religious purposes, is believed to have been constructed in less than fifty years. When completed, the monumental complex was more than 150 metres long and 100 metres wide. When the Hittites conquered Syria in 1340 BC, the palace was destroyed.

Slideshow: click theimages for a larger version

Qatna Archaeological Park, AD 2013

More than 3000 years later, archaeologists are ready to show the first results of large-scale restoration project that will create the ‘Qatna Archaeological Park’.

As part of the project, the ruins of the palace’s well-house and the surrounding area were covered by a 20 metres by 28 metres transparent construction. With its unusual deep well and 80-step basalt stairs, the unique well-house is a precious monument of Near Eastern Bronze Age architecture.

The renovation project a collaboration between the universities of Tubingen and Udine (their excellent project website), and Damscus is set to be completed in 2013.

Our generation has a moral responsibility to preserve the archaeological heritage for future generations, said Daniele Morandi Bonacossi from the University of Udine.

Especiallyfor countries rich in cultural heritage and with a booming economy, such as Syria, it is extremely important to establish a strong link between cultural heritage, archaeological resources and sustainable management of tourism in order to ensure the country’s growth, continued the co-director of the archaeological mission at Mishrife.

Archaeological Treasures from Qatna’s Tombs

Parallel with the restoration works, archaeological excavations were carried out at ancient Qatna this summer,focussing on further exposing the second tomb discoveredbeneath the Royal Palace in 2009.

Late summer, some remarkable finds were recovered from the intact not looted burials. Amongst theitems found in the grave chamber were an Egyptian cup of black translucent obsidian, gold bracelets, and neck rings decorates with gemstones including Baltic amber.

More than 100 skeletons were discovered at the cryptso far. Most of the skeletal remains, which likely belong to members from Qatna’s royal family or household, were grouped in wooden boxes. These ‘mass coffins’ were positioned one next to another, and sometimes even stacked.

One of the boxes contained the pelvic bone of a child, encircled by a wide bronze belt. Another held a smaller box, inlaid with ivory. The inlaid tiles decorated the wooden box on three sides and, fastened with bitumen, were still partly in their original positions.They show animal figures such as gazelles, monkeys and lions, a hybrid creature with a lion’s head and aneagle body, as well as humans. The box isa unique exampleofSyrian-Mesopotamian art of the late Middle Bronze Age.

A seal with an inscription of the Egyptian queen mother Ahmes-Nefertari (c. 1560 BC) was added to the artefacts allowing the dating of the tomb, of which the contents are an impressive testament to the close contacts between the Syrian Kingdom of Qatna and Egypt in the middle of the 2nd Millennium BC the Hyksos period and the beginning of the New Kingdom.

Promising Future Excavations

At the official opening ceremony for the well-house, a new excavation license was signed so we may look forward to more fascinating discoveries at Qatna being made in the next five years.

The renewal of the license allows for the excavations at the lower town and the satellite building east to the Royal Palace to continue, but also gives the dig teams access to a large new area at Qatna’s western gate which so far is unexplored and molto promettente.

Project Troia – Bronze Age Troy Just Keeps on Growing

The Bronze Age remains were found at the lower city, below the remains of Roman and Hellenistic houses. Above left, Dr Ernst Pernicka discusses the excavations with archaeologist Dr Catalin Pavel (in white shirt). - Photo by Gebhard Bieg, courtesy the University of Tubingen German archaeologists have made new discoveries at modern day Hisarlik, northwest Turkey ancient Troy.

The finds further confirm the area occupied duringthe Bronze Age was not limited to the citadel; Troy VI and VIIwere muchlarger than originally thought.

The three year research project at Troy lead by Prof. Ernst Pernicka, from the University of Tubingen‘s Institute of Pre- and Early History sees scholars focus on the analysis and publication of materials found since the university started excavations at the site in 1988.

But to investigate and resolve outstanding issues, Project Troia does undertake some smaller excavations.

These digs, in combination with geophysical surveying and the drilling of test holes, allow the team to narrow down the Bronze Age occupation belowTroy’scitadel more closely.

From the early Bronze Age until the Roman Period, at least nine cities their ruins stacked up to 15 metres high existed at the archaeological site; Troy I to IX.

This year, the team confirmed the layout of a one kilometre long Late Bronze Age defensive system a rock-cut ditch south of the Troy hillfort.

A gate, situated in the southeast area of the trench, is now fully excavated. It is located some 300 metres south of the citadel wall, and dated to about 1300 BC. The passage is about five metres wide, smaller than the ditch’s previously excavated southern gate.

Late Bronze Age layers came to light in the vicinity of the southeastern gate remains of walls, roads, storage pits and even an ancient oven. The finds suggest the area was occupied from about about 1700(TroyVI)to 1100 BC (Troy VII).Soil samples, taken 200 metres east of the citadel, reveal Bronze Age remains as well.

Further east, a second trench was discovered, significantly deeper and wider than the excavated ditch. This structure isn’t dated yet, but will be further examined next season.

Map of the 2010 excavations by the University of Tubingen at Hisarlik, Turkey - ancient Troy.

The archaeological site of Hisarlik was first excavated in the 19th century not without controversy by self-taught archaeologists Heinrich Schliemann.

Rather than being one ancient city, it consists of multiple layers of ruins. From the early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC) until the Roman Period(1st century BC), at least nine cities Troy I to IX existed at the archaeological site; there ruins are stacked up to 15 metres high(nicely shown in the timeline on the University of Cincinnati’s website).

Which of these remains if any are those ofthe Homeric city of Troy, is still debated.

Schliemann nominated Troy I or II, but nowadays the Late Hittite Troy VII showing traces of fire and possibly warfare is seen as the most likely source of inspiration for the Trojan myth. Its remains are dated between the 13th and 10th century BC, where as ancient Greek historians place the Trojan War somewhere in the 12th to 14th century BC.

That Troy VI and VIIare far larger than originally thought not a mere hillfort, but strongholds surrounded by a settlement with its own defensive structures makes it more likely Hisarlik isindeed the site of the legendary Troy, or Ilion, the siege of whichwas described by Homer in the Iliad.

Pavlopetri, ‘the city beneath the waves’ to surface in BBC Two documentary

The curvature of the sea surface and the nearby walls is of course caused by the "fish-eye" lens Discovered over 40 years ago just off the coast of Greece, Pavlopetri is the oldest submerged city in the world and the only sunken city in Greece that predates the writing of Plato’s Atlantis myth.

Now, for ‘Pavlopetri, The City Beneath the Waves’, BBC Two is to follow the team of experts excavating the submerged site.

“The future of archaeology is under the water and we are now armed with the technology to unlock the countless fascinating secrets the sea is yet to yield up to us, says BBCTwo’s Janice Hadlow.

The documentary is planned to air next year, and will make extensiveuse of CGI (3D computer generated images) to show for the first time in 3,500 years, how the mighty city of Pavlopetri now five metres below the sea level must have once looked.

The underwater city of Pavlopetriwas discovered in 1967, off the coast of southern Laconia in Greece. It is about 5000 years old.

It is believed that the ancient town sank around 1000 BC yet it remains unknown what caused this. Possibilities include sea level changes, earthquakes, or a tsunami.

So far, evidence for inhabitation during the late Bronze Age, middle Minoan and Mycenaean periods has been found at the 30,000 square meters archaeological site.

Pavlopetri is unique in having an almost complete town plan, including streets, courtyards, more than 15 buildings, two chamber tombs and at least 37 cist graves.

Although eroded over the centuries, the town layout never built over or disrupted by agriculture is as it was thousands of years ago.

It is believed that the ancient town sank at the end of the Mycenaean period, around 1000 BC yet it remains unknown what caused this. Possibilities include sea level changes, earthquakes, or a tsunami.

‘Pavlopetri The City Beneath the Waves’ will show the archaeology team using the latest in cutting-edge science and technology to prise age-old secrets from the complex of streets and stone buildingsthat wasmapped in last year’s survey. (Video from the 2009 Pavlopetri Expedition.)

The team is led by the University of Nottingham’s Dr Jon Henderson. Working alongside the underwater archaeologist on this ground-breaking project will be Nic Flemming, the man whose hunch led to the intriguing discovery of Pavlopetri in 1967, and teams from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Australian Centre for Field Robotics.

BBC Two’s upcoming history specials: Ancient Worlds, Pompeii, Britain & the Bible’s Buried Secrets

BBC Two Ancient Worlds with Richard Miles The BBC has officially announced its TVschedule for this autumn and winter, promising its audience a big focus on history, with new programmes and new presenters. What to expect from the Beeb this autumn and winter, when the rain and cold keeps you locked into your home?

The autumn & winter 2010/2011 programming includes ‘Behind Closed Doors’ with Amanda Vickery, ‘The Do-Gooders’ with Ian Hislop and programming to mark the Battle of Britain’s 70th anniversary, with a drama-documentary based on Geoffrey Wellum’s book, First Light.

Ancient history specials served on these coldand dark winter nights will be ‘Pompeii’with Mary Beard, ‘Ancient Worlds’ with Richard Miles, Neil Oliver’s two-part ‘History of Ancient Britain’ and a look at Holy Land archaeology.

‘Ancient Worlds’ with Richard Miles

Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles embarks on a six-part odyssey from the first cities of Mesopotamia to the Christianisation of the Roman Empire to tell the story of what he argues is mankinds greatest achievement civilisation.

In the West, the term “civilisation” has been consigned to the museum display case. Embarrassed by its chauvinistic and elitist connotations, we have increasingly taken refuge in more politically correct and soft-focused terms such as “culture” to explain human origins. ‘Ancient Worlds’ seeks to rescue civilisation from its enforced retirement and celebrate such a hard-fought invention. Expect stunning locations and bold propositions about the origins of human society.

Neil Oliver’s ‘History of Ancient Britain’

For those who were wondering Neil Oliver (who earlier brought Britain ‘Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer’) was doing at the Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2010 celebrations, here’s a huge clue:

In ‘History of Ancient Britain’ he embarks on an epic quest through thousands of years of ancient history to tell the story of how Britain and its people came to be.

The first part of the story takes him from the glacial wasteland of ice-age mammoth hunters, through the glories of the Stone Age, to the magnificence of international Bronze Age society. Neil travels the length and breadth of the British Isles exploring some of its greatest wonders and revealing how science is solving mysteries while getting hands-on experience of ancient technology.

Tapping into the latest discoveries and experimental archaeology, History Of Ancient Britain Part I gets under the skin of this mysterious world, the lives of the people who inhabited it, and the tipping points that changed their lives and made ours. History Of Ancient Britain Part II will continue the story through the Iron Age and the Celtic kings to the Romans.

BBC Two will air 'Pompeii' with Cambridge Professor Mary Beard

‘Pompeii’ with Mary Beard

Mary Beard, Cambridge Professor of Classics, author of ‘Pompeii- The Life Of A Roman Town‘ (Bija interviewed Beard here) and avid blogger, gleans evidence from an extraordinary find in the ancient city of Pompeii to provide a fascinating new insight into the people who lived in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius before its cataclysmic eruption in 79AD.

In a dark cellar in Oplontis, a suburb of ancient Pompeii, the remains of more than 50 victims of the eruption are put under the microscope of forensic science. The remains are submitted to a barrage of tests that, together with a fresh look at other finds in the city, unlock a valuable scientific snapshot of Pompeiian life and there are some surprises in store.

The programme features a visit to bars, baths, brothels,dining rooms and an ancient cesspit, where viewers can see what really went through ancient digestive tracts and learn about Roman hygiene: We can see ever so clearly where the water comes into the pool, but there isn’t a single place where it can go out. Make sure you don’t go to the baths if you have an open wound. You are likely to die of gangreen if you do.

‘The Bible’s Buried Secrets’ with Francesca Stavrakopoulou

Hebrew Scholar Francesca Stavrakopoulou examines how recent archaeological discoveries are changing the way stories from The Bible are interpreted and how these, in turn, are forcing a re-assessment of the understanding of the legacy of Judaism, Christianity and Islam both in the Middle East and in the West.

In thenew three-part series ‘The Bible’s Buried Secrets’, Francesca travels to major archaeological digs throughout the Middle East to investigate the origins of the story of the Garden of Eden, the emergence of the worship of one God and the historical context of King David – and his wondrous kingdom.

She also visits Khirbet Qeiyafa (a fortified city in Judah from the time of King David), the ancient city of Ugarit in Syria (considered to be the single most important biblical archaeological discovery of the last century) and the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations (blogging here).

Following Francesca on her journey through some of the world’s most beautiful but inaccessible landscapes, The Bible’s Buried Secrets aims to place some of its most iconic stories into a new historical context.

A promising menu for those dark winter evenings, don’t you think? Hot choco and BBC iPlayer, here I come! No need to wait until winter for excellent history documentaries in the UK.For this month’s rainyevenings, you can settle down in front of the TVandswitch to‘King Arthur’s Round Table Revealed’, whichpremiers on History ChannelJuly 19th. For a truly historical docudrama, trytuning in toChasing Mummies. Really, the destruction of Atlantis isn’t nearly as devestatingly shocking asZahiHawass’ rage: “Nobody talk! Nobody talk! NOBODYTALK!!!”Just quoting! We’re happy for you tochat, and look forward to your opinions on theBBC’s upcoming ‘authorative history’ programmes. Everybody talk, ! 😉

Plants Used to Date Egypt’s Pharaohs

Scholars across the globe have spent more than a century trying to document the reigns of the various rulers of Egypt’s Old, Middle and New Kingdoms. Now, researchers say they nailed down a more accurate chronology for dynastic Egypt. The new chronology, based on a radiocarbon analysis of short-lived plant remains, is a long and accurate chronology of ancient Egyptian dynasties that agrees with most previous estimates but also imposes some historic revisions.

Although previous chronologies (based on both historical and archaeological records) have been precise in relative ways (the sequence of rulers), assigning absolute dates to specific events in ancient Egyptian history has been an extremely contentious undertaking. This new study tightly constrains those previous predictions, especially for the Old Kingdom (the third millenium BC), which was determined to be slightly older than some scholars had believed.

The research team says the study, published in today’s issue of Science, will also allow for more accurate historical comparisons to surrounding areas, like Libya and Sudan, which have been subject to many radiocarbon dating techniques in the past.

Christopher Bronk Ramsey and colleagues from the Universities of Oxford and Cranfield in England, along with a team of researchers from France, Austria and Israel, collected radiocarbon measurements from 211 various plants – obtained from museum collections in the form of seeds, baskets, textiles, plant stems and fruit – that were directly associated with particular reigns of ancient Egyptian kings. They then combined their radiocarbon data with historical information about the order and length of each king’s reign to make a complete chronology of ancient Egyptian dynasties.

“My colleague, Joanne Rowland, went to a lot of museums, explaining what we were doing and asking for their participation,” Bronk Ramsey said. “The museums were all very helpful in providing material we were interested in – especially important since export of samples from Egypt is currently prohibited. Fortunately, we only needed samples that were about the same size as a grain of wheat.”

For the most part, the new chronology simply narrows down the various historical scenarios that researchers have been considering for ancient Egypt. Yet, it does indicate that a few events occurred earlier than previously predicted. It suggests, for example, that the reign of Djoser – famous for his Step Pyramid – in the Old Kingdom actually started between 2691 and 2625 BC and that the New Kingdom began, with the reign of Ahmose I, between 1570 and 1544 BC. King Tut is put between 1353 and 1331 BC.

“For the first time, radiocarbon dating has become precise enough to constrain the history of ancient Egypt to very specific dates,” said Bronk Ramsey. “I think scholars and scientists will be glad to hear that our small team of researchers has independently corroborated a century of scholarship in just three years.”

Bronk Ramsey and his colleagues also found some discrepancies in the radiocarbon levels of the Nile Valley, but they suggest that these are due to ancient Egypt’s unusual growing season, which is concentrated in the winter months.

However, there’s at least one riddle thatremains: when did the Thera or Minoan eruption take place? While previous radiocarbon dating suggests the eruption took place at least 100 years before the start of the New Kingdom – put at no earlier than 1570 BC by this study. Archaeologist Manfred Bietak puts the massive eruption during the New Kingdom era.

The Thera eruption which some say is the inspiration for the Atlantis legend – destroyed the Minoan city of Akrotiri and caused havoc in the Aegean. It is considered a ‘global Bronze Age time marker’, and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilisation on Crete, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami that hit the island.

‘Bottomless Pit’ of Ancient Cult Vessels Discovered in Israel

A massive haul of ancient cultic vessels dating back over 3,500 years has been discovered in Israel. The find, made ahead of gas pipe works at the base of Tell Qashish, near Tishbi Junction, has been described as a ‘bottomless pit’ of artefacts, and contains over a hundred intact objects – almost unheard of in archaeological circles.

The find includes incense-burning vessels, a sculpted woman’s face – seen in the picture below – and various items of tableware. Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) who made the find believe the artefacts were part of an ancient pagan cult which was wiped out during the Bronze Age.

“In this period, before the Bible, the children of Israel were still in Egypt or the desert,” says lead digger Uzi Ad.

“The vessels were used in a pagan cult that worshipped idols.”

“It would appear that the vessels were used in a pagan cult that worshipped idols,” Ad continues. “During this period it was customary that each city had a temple of its own where special cultic vessels were used.”

One theory for their hidden location is that the vessels had been buried to protect them from their town’s impending destruction. Another is that they were allowed special treatment simply due to their high religious status.

Ad and colleague Dr Edwin van den Brink are amazed at the discovery – not least because the rock cavity in which it was made appeared to continue forever: each time the team reached the foot of one cavity another appeared featuring another set of items. Some had even been imported from Mycenae in Greece, known for its stunning vases.

The IAA plans to showcase the discovery at an exhibition later this year. The location of the show is unknown as yet.

The find is a welcome high note for Israeli archaeology, whose work threatens to be overshadowed by ongoing rows over excavations at Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Ancient Egyptian Mummy coming to Dick Institute, Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock’s Dick Institute is the latest museum to be hit by mummymania, as it welcomes the mummy and coffin of an ancient Egyptian High Priest to an otherworldly exhibition. ‘The Journey Beyond – Ancient Egypt and Prehistoric Ayrshire’ will compare attitudes to life and death in two very different corners of the world: Egypt and southwest Scotland.

Local Neolithic, Iron Age and Bronze Age burial items from Ayrshire will show how Scotland’s early inhabitants held strong views about life after death. Yet the star of the show is bound to be the mummy and coffin of Iufenamun, a 21st – 22nd Dynasty (1077-716 BC) High Priest of the Temple of Karnak, near modern Luxor. His highly-decorated coffin and mummified remains were given to engineer Sir Colin Scott-Moncrieff by Egypt in the 20th century, for his work on the Nile.

Recent state-of-the-art scanning techniques mean a facial reconstruction of Iufenamun, meaning ‘he belongs to Amun’, will go on show at the National Museum of Scotland when it reopens next year. For now though, visitors to the Dick Institute can see how Iufenamun’s ornate coffin unearths the religious beliefs of ancient Egypt.

“It’s amazing to see these exhibits and artefacts at such close quarters.”

“It’s amazing to see these exhibits and artefacts at such close quarters,” says local council leader Douglas Reid. “The mummy itself appears to be in incredible condition.” Mummymania appears to have gripped Kilmarnock, as rebel knitters – aka ‘yarn bombers’ – have been leaving knitted models of the Pyramids of Giza on the steps of the Institute. Watch a video on Egyptomania in London here.

A replica Iron Age ‘cist’ burial and a series of photographs entitled ‘Ultima Thule’ (the northern frontier) by Stephen Vaughan are among the exhibition’s other highlights. The photographs, which look at connections between geology, archaeology and history, are founded on the work of ancient Greek explorer Pytheas, who was allegedly the first man to map Britain around the 4th century BC.

‘The Journey Beyond – Ancient Egypt and Prehistoric Ayrshire’ runs until 28th August 2010.